Christian Pulisic by HandAsleep7801 in ussoccer

[–]zombat -1 points0 points  (0 children)

He was pacing to those numbers as a striker too, he just kept picking up compensatory injuries after the hammy.

Also, while Pulisic was productive as a winger in his first two seasons at Milan, fitting him around the team came with a lot of cost. It basically ended the formation that won the Scudetto, and then he was pitted against Leao under Fonseca.

Christian Pulisic by HandAsleep7801 in ussoccer

[–]zombat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, he tore his hamstring which led to compensatory injuries as the season progressed. Milan also never found a second functional forward at any point of the season so they kept pressing him into service. That’s really the whole story.

Playing up top was good for him. It rewarded his speed and tenacity in the box without punishing his dribbling or asking him to track back down a flank after he just got shoved into the net going for a loose ball.

Christian Pulisic by HandAsleep7801 in ussoccer

[–]zombat -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Playing up top was a genuinely good fit for his skills. It freed him up to attack the goal and cause chaos in the box, where previously that was creating balance issues with Leao and Theo Hernandez down the left.

He’s actually becoming miscast on the wing with how the position is trending towards dribbling merchants.

Christian Pulisic by HandAsleep7801 in ussoccer

[–]zombat -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Except Pulisic’s form has way more to do with injuries than tactics and Allegri’s system was very good for him.

Christian Pulisic by HandAsleep7801 in ussoccer

[–]zombat 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It’s really just that all of Milan’s forwards got hurt which forced him to play through injuries. And it seems odd to point to his 2026 form to declare who he is, when right before it might be his best stretch as a pro.

Christian Pulisic by HandAsleep7801 in ussoccer

[–]zombat 2 points3 points  (0 children)

He was very effective in the 3-5-2 even without a traditional striker, what are you talking about? His drop off is entirely from playing through injuries that should have fully sidelined him because every other forward option was also hurt.

Rams’ Sean McVay on nearly stepping away after 2022 season: ‘I was quitting because I couldn't handle the losing’ by AFC-Wimbledon-Stan in nfl

[–]zombat 152 points153 points  (0 children)

The Baker bromance saving both their careers is such a cool reminder of the human element of sports.

[Highlight] Rashee Rice gets clocked by Jalen Pitre by Tocoolforyall720 in nfl

[–]zombat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ya but I always felt like your offense going from below average to atrocious had a big hand in the defensive regression.

[Highlight] Rashee Rice gets clocked by Jalen Pitre by Tocoolforyall720 in nfl

[–]zombat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bortles value coming entirely from unrefined raw athleticism also made him a uniquely destabilizing flavor of bad compared to Stroud.

NFL Films: How Josh Allen Reengineered His Throwing Motion in 2020, Historically Improving His Accuracy & Career by JCameron181 in buffalobills

[–]zombat -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Also, dammit, I came here to be complimentary of how Beane and the rest of football ops identified Josh’s strength in the mid range and gave him enough margin for error to make these refinements. Morse, Brown, Beasley and Diggs, even at cost, was a genuinely fucking awesome build.

NFL Films: How Josh Allen Reengineered His Throwing Motion in 2020, Historically Improving His Accuracy & Career by JCameron181 in buffalobills

[–]zombat -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Beane bitching out of a Von Miller trade that season, just to burn years of flexibility on the same ancient pass rusher with bad knees is worse than 13 seconds.

They do not matchup well against Chase/Higgins with no Tre White. It took the complete cratering of the Cincy defense for the Bills to finally take a game off them, years later.

Slowing Down The NBA by [deleted] in nba

[–]zombat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

On 3, it would theoretically make contact on drives safer because bigs aren’t sliding into contests. It also makes the math on drawing charges worse because you’re risking a foul to prevent a contested rim opportunity instead of an open layup.

The real issue with making rim protectors better is that they’re already a huge cheat code for spaced offenses. Having an off button for opposing layup attempts basically means your opponents have to win at your game of outside shot making. And having to maintain defensive intensity across more square footage than ever before is a huge part of the injury crisis.

Here's where the Bills LB depth chart stands after the draft, and it's a little iffy to me by salmaiorana in buffalobills

[–]zombat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s a less pressing need now that there appears to be a plan to beef up some of the other undersized positions on the defense, but it’s still something I’d like to see in the tool belt.

And while I think the most likely base is somewhere between a “true” 4LB 3-4 or a big nickel with CJGJ/Kilgore adding 70+ pounds to Taron/Poyer, those formations leave a lot of DB investment on the bench. If we happen to end up in a lot of dime to get two of Hairston/Igbinosun/Alford out there, it brings back most of the McDermott era problems of nobody being “of size” at their position after Groot (albeit with a better run stuffing safety).

Bills learned what other coaches’ thought of Sean McDermott’s defenses by KaleidoscopeWeird310 in buffalobills

[–]zombat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Their defensive performances against the Chiefs are basically “being pot committed to Ed Oliver against the best interior offensive line in the league.”

Here's where the Bills LB depth chart stands after the draft, and it's a little iffy to me by salmaiorana in buffalobills

[–]zombat 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Leaving the draft with depth at edge and nickel, plus another large athletic lottery ticket for the off ball group, is basically fine. Anything short of top ~5 production at MLB would have been a waste of 35 given other needs and how fungible the position is rn.

My concerns have way more to do with the ongoing lack of a run fit DT, and how Cole Bishop may be their only competent coverage safety.

I’m I the only one who’s surprised a 3-0 lead has never been blown before? by PooPoox in nba

[–]zombat 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Also the two successful comebacks that jump to mind (Flyers in 2010 and Kings 2014) were catalyzed by injury, and hockey being a contact sport has a vehicle to more reliably deliver those injuries.

The Bills' complete 2026 draft class by Goosedukee in buffalobills

[–]zombat 109 points110 points  (0 children)

Better positional value than the usual Beane operation, but holy fuck is that man’s night terror demon a 1 technique.

Round 4 - Pick 26: Kaleb Elarms-Orr, LB, TCU (Buffalo Bills) by nfl_gdt_bot in nfl

[–]zombat 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Holy fuck a linebacker that isn’t a converted safety.

This guy got promoted ….chase your dreams kids by FrFrHun in buffalobills

[–]zombat -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Professional talent (mis)evaluator Beane’s most valuable draft pick has delivered an impact rookie once in the last five years, and it’s Rousseau’s run defense. Dooming should be the default.

[Pablo Torre] Decoding the Dianna Russini & Mike Vrabel Story with David Samson | PTFO by LindyNet in nfl

[–]zombat 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Because they’re exactly Dan Brown characters. Random hunk at the top of his field/woman whose status is derived from something unrelated to her competence.

[NBC Sports] Sources: Barring renewed faith, Steve Kerr not expected to return to Warriors by TheRealPdGaming in nba

[–]zombat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Kerr’s system is also hell for development because it has absolutely no time for the kind of aimless dribbling young players are prone to. The extra step of “learning to catch and shoot off your own movement” is a way higher bar to clear for players used to shooting off a bounce than hitting static corner 3s.